We won!"
Jorah Mormont stood stunned, muttering to himself.
The power of the dragons far exceeded his imagination.
Even without Viserys Targaryen using the dragonlord's horn, Qohor was swept away and conquered without any suspense.
"His Majesty won!"
Brienne of Tarth interrupted him.
Although Jorah was indeed brave in battle, the thought of him being a spy sent by Robert Baratheon sent a shiver down Brienne of Tarth's spine.
Hearing this, Jorah Mormont did not retort.
Although he had proven his loyalty to Viserys Targaryen through his actions.
However, as a subordinate of the usurper's former companion, he still couldn't earn everyone's trust.
"Whoosh—"
The Great Masters' horn finally sounded from the Qohor city wall, and all the slaves breathed a sigh of relief!
The battle was over, ending with the surrender of the nobles and Great Masters.
Meereen, Astapor, Qohor, the three great slave city-states, now all prostrated at the feet of Viserys Targaryen.
Watching the enormous harpy statue in front of him being completely toppled, Viserys Targaryen's face showed a hint of a triumphant smile.
Closing the fighting pits, suppressing the nobles and Great Masters, and supporting the Unsullied soldiers, Viserys Targaryen was systematically carrying out everything Daenerys Targaryen did in the original story.
Of course, he would not allow hidden nobles to secretly bribe assassins to kill his Unsullied warriors.
The moment he entered Meereen, he brought all the prostitutes under unified management, making them military prostitutes.
The nobles from the Crownlands also systematically handled government affairs for Viserys Targaryen.
Compared to the chaos during Daenerys Targaryen's time handling Meereen's affairs in the original story, Viserys Targaryen was incredibly leisurely.
The reason was simple: compared to King's Landing, which had half a million residents, Meereen was just a small town.
"Your Majesty, a merchant claiming to be a king has come to see you!"
Grey Worm stepped forward and reminded him, "He is Xaro Xhoan Daxos, the great spice merchant from Qarth."
"Xaro Xhoan Daxos?"
Viserys Targaryen frowned.
In the original story, it was this merchant who coveted Daenerys Targaryen and her dragons, attempting to gain something for nothing.
Now, he had actually come to him himself!
"Let him in!"
Viserys Targaryen was also intrigued at this moment.
After all, besides the ruins of Valyria, the City of the Undying could be considered the most mysterious place on the Essos Continent!
Whether it was the great deceiver in front of him or the warlocks behind him, Viserys Targaryen was extremely interested!
"My dear King Viserys,"
Xaro spoke politely, without a hint of a king's pride in his every move, "Please allow me to pledge my allegiance to you, for there is only one true king in this world!"
"That is you, the sole heir to the iron throne!"
Before he finished speaking, he took off his crown and placed it at Viserys Targaryen's feet, declaring his loyalty.
Watching Xaro Xhoan Daxos's utterly subservient demeanor, Viserys Targaryen's lips curled into a slight smile.
If he hadn't known about his treachery and cunning from the original story, he might have genuinely developed a good impression of him!
"I heard that the city-state of Qarth only has the Thirteen, and no king!"
Viserys Targaryen stared at him coldly and said, "You didn't happen to kill them all, did you?"
Hearing this, Xaro Xhoan Daxos's eyelids twitched violently.
Qarth was just a small city-state hidden in the desert, yet Viserys Targaryen knew so much about it.
However, facing Viserys Targaryen's interrogation, he remained calm.
"That's right,"
Xaro Xhoan Daxos nodded and said, "Qarth has been peaceful for hundreds of years. But some time ago, the Sea Lord intervened, hoping we would oppose you. This led to internal strife among the Thirteen within the city-state of Qarth, with them killing each other. Now, only I have fortunately escaped!"
"Compared to the Sea Lord, Qarth trusts the one true Dragon King more!"
"Continue, Lord Xaro."
A playful expression appeared on Viserys Targaryen's face.
He still maintained the dignified air of a king, his silver-gold eyebrows slightly raised.
He figured this self-proclaimed 'king' had already set his sights on him, a tempting target, but Viserys Targaryen truly didn't know what he wanted to trick him out of.
"The Iron Bank."
Xaro heavily uttered the word, "It is the heart of Braavos. It supports Robert Baratheon's false reign, and it is it that allowed the usurper to achieve his ambitions."
"What if we… take it?"
He smiled slightly, leaning forward a few inches towards Viserys Targaryen.
He held up the large golden disc hanging around his neck and said, "From the shores of the Jade Sea to the lighthouses of Westeros, every ship returning to port has my investment, and the rise of every port depends on my loans.
The keys to the Iron Bank may be kept by the Braavosis, but to open its doors requires my, Xaro Xhoan Daxos's, approval.
My wealth is enough to support you in taking the Essos Continent, and even all of Westeros.
At that time, the lifeline of Braavos will be in your hands, and the finances of the Seven Kingdoms will crumble without a fight. And Robert will become a beggar king sitting on an empty treasury."
Xaro Xhoan Daxos paused, then added, "I have endless wealth, and you have the absolute power to clear all obstacles."
Listening to the blueprint Xaro Xhoan Daxos painted with his words, Viserys Targaryen almost held his breath.
"Truly a master merchant,"
Viserys Targaryen thought to himself.
Then, seeing that Viserys Targaryen remained silent, Xaro changed the subject, "Braavos also has a thorn that must be removed—the House of Black and White, those Faceless Men who worship the Many-Faced God. They are blades in the shadows, the most unpredictable factor in any grand plan. To deal with them, conventional armies are useless."
"You have a way to deal with the Faceless Men?"
Viserys Targaryen's voice carried a hint of imperceptible excitement.
This was something that successive Targaryen Dynasties, or even the Valyrian dragonlords, cared about most.
An organization known for assassination was practically omnipresent among the various powers.
For the Dragon King, it was like a thorn in his side.
"Completely eradicating them might be difficult. But making them 'preoccupied,' or even… making them lose their foundation of existence, is something that can be done."
Xaro's eyes gleamed with calculation, "And for this, Your Majesty, you will need to personally visit the City of the Undying deep within the Essos Continent."
"The City of the Undying?"
Viserys Targaryen frowned.
He had heard those legends, stories about warlocks and ancient magic.
In the original story, Xaro also tried to persuade Daenerys Targaryen to personally go to the City of the Undying!
"Precisely."
Xaro leaned forward, lowering his voice as if sharing a shocking secret.